The city of Chuzhou, seat of both the prefecture and the Longquan commandery, boasted a vibrancy far surpassing the humble Red Candle Town nestled where three rivers met.

A woman, adorned in silk and jade, had returned to her homeland, and years of pampered ease had granted her a serene dignity. Ignoring the crow’s feet at her eyes, one might mistake her for a woman barely past thirty – a mature beauty, truly. Were one unfamiliar with her origins, they might assume her to be a lady of noble birth from the illustrious Fortune Street.

Within her opulent dwelling, a dragon’s breath hearth warmed the floors, rendering braziers obsolete, even charcoal hand-warmers a needless indulgence.

Years ago, upon returning from Qingxia Isle in Shujian Lake, she had invested heavily in properties within the city. It had proven a sagacious gamble. The annual rents from her shops alone yielded a considerable sum in silver. Of course, she now held mere coins in contempt, for the true wealth lay in spirit money.

In recent years, the woman’s visits to her estate in Huaihuang County were largely confined to Qingming, the ancestral festival, when she would briefly sojourn in her old home in Mud Bottle Alley.

Her heart was now set upon her new estate, where she diligently fostered a sense of order and hierarchy – for a well-governed household was one with its distinctions observed.

Within Chuzhou, nestled high upon the mountains, stood a hostel frequented by immortals. She commissioned her steward to procure the *Mountain & Water Gazette* from this ethereal inn at regular intervals.

This endeavor was a considerable expense, paid as it was in spirit money, yet the woman felt no remorse. Firstly, she sought news of the Central Continent, particularly of Bai Di City. Secondly, it served to proclaim her family’s elevated status.

Within her chambers, the woman gathered with her maids, sharing tales and companionship by the fire. A pot of warmed glutinous rice wine circulated, each partaking in modest sips. The side table overflowed with a myriad of delicacies.

A plump maid, after a demure sip of wine, remarked with a smile, “Madam, with the Young Master’s aptitude for cultivation, coupled with his esteemed lineage as a direct descendant of Bai Di City, he will surely found his own sect upon his return home!”

Years ago, the woman had brought several handmaidens with her from Hengbo Manor on Qingxia Isle. They had adapted to the customs of the land. On this day, they joined their mistress in pasting Spring Festival couplets, burning incense to appease the Door Gods and the Stove God. The traditions of their lady’s homeland were numerous, but practice made perfect, and year after year, they grew accustomed. Come the dawn of the New Year, they would accompany the lady to the Mountain God’s temple on Cool Breeze Mountain. When first she arrived in Chuzhou, the lady had intended to depart on New Year’s Eve itself, eager to be the first to burn incense in the new year, perhaps even spending the night within the temple walls. However, after Gu Can’s last return, their mistress no longer felt it necessary to vie for the first incense offering. As the young master had explained, there were two interpretations of the “first incense.” The first was sincerity of heart, regardless of location. The second, one’s devotion to the Buddha meant every offering was, in essence, the first.

The woman chuckled, “Little Can is but one of Lord Zheng’s disciples. Even if Bai Di City were to establish a sub-sect, the *Gazette* suggests it would most likely be in Fuyao Continent, not our own Treasure Bottle Continent.”

Over the years, through the enchanted hostel’s *Mountain & Water Gazette*, the woman had gleaned much of the world’s affairs. The *Gazette*, it was said, possessed even wider channels than the City God’s Temple of Chuzhou.

A sudden shadow of regret fell over the woman’s features. “It is you I pity. Who could have foreseen the rise of the True Realm Sect in Shujian Lake? Had you not followed me here, you might now be immortal scholars on the sect’s rolls, addressed as ‘Fairy’ wherever you roam. Instead, you are confined within this tiny estate, serving a mere woman such as myself as mere maids.”

She knew how much those who cultivated treasured being inscribed upon a jade registry of an immortal sect – a stroke of fortune to make one’s ancestral graves smoke with joy.

Previously, within the estate, two topics were forbidden: Shujian Lake, and the accountant surnamed Chen.

Neither place, nor person, could be discussed.

And yet, tonight, the mistress herself had broached the subject of Shujian Lake.

The two handmaidens exchanged surprised glances. The slimmer of the two swiftly spoke. “Madam, you are mistaken.”

The woman smiled. “Pray tell, how so?”

The maid replied, “At the time, it was Madam who led us from the fire. But now, looking back, what true promise did the True Realm Sect hold for us as indolent outer disciples? Here, at Madam’s side, the Young Master, the most filial of men, will ensure our fates are no less grand. The Young Master is blessed by the heavens, the epitome of fortune! Even setting aside his Master, Lord Zheng of the city, there is also his Aunt-Master, Han Qiaose, an immortal herself! And his Little Uncle-Master, Liu Daochun, master of the Glazed Pavilion, and his elder brother Fu Jin, a great swordsman! Each is a towering figure! Should any grace the Treasure Bottle Continent, even the Heavenly Master of the Divine Edict Sect would greet them as fellow Daoists, granting them the seat of honor.”

Regarding Gu Can’s cultivation in Bai Di City, only the woman and her handmaidens were privy to the truth.

These were heartfelt words.

Yet, she did not speak her full mind.

Gu Can’s future accomplishments were only one aspect. They all feared Gu Can, that devilish master of Shujian Lake, they feared him to their very bones.

Strangely, as Gu Can had matured, he seemed to have transformed into a Confucian scholar. When they met him after his latest homecoming, even with his gentle demeanor, they found themselves more fearful, increasingly uneasy.

If Gu Can, the disciple of Liu Zhimao, the River-Blocking True Lord of Qingxia Isle, had been a deranged wild cultivator prone to random acts of violence, then this new, youthful Gu Can was a man of profound depths and inscrutable thoughts. Even face-to-face, one could never truly discern what lay within his mind.

Gu Can, who had walked away from Shujian Lake, possessed a cultivation, temperament, and cunning that belied his years.

Before his departure, Gu Can had summoned them in secret. He had set aside all pretense, showing no hint of youthful arrogance. Instead, he was courteous, treating them with respect, laying out terms of agreement, establishing clear rewards and punishments, and even granting leeway for one or two mistakes. However, he also requested that they dispatch letters via flying sword to Bai Di City each year. They could write whatever they pleased, even seek guidance on difficult points of cultivation. He would cover the cost, only asking that they keep this arrangement from his mother.

Finally, Gu Can had smiled and confessed that he spoke to them from the heart. They should take his words seriously.

Of the terms they agreed upon, one was that they were forbidden from stirring trouble with their Mistress, from transforming some minor incident into an affair that required intervention from the Commandery Governor or the Great Li Dynasty. They must not actively seek trouble, but if others provoked them, regardless of their status or background, so long as the maids were in the right, they were not to fear, for Gu Can would shield them. After all, they were now considered half-family.

In the end, Gu Can had risen and bowed his hands in thanks, saying that he entrusted his mother’s well-being to them.

The woman, hearing the maid’s sincere words, beamed with joy. Picking up a pastry from the plate, she gently offered it to the maid. “My Little Can has always been able to endure hardship. Now, his days of suffering are over. It is not as exaggerated as you claim.”

Indeed, the seemingly endless days of hardship had been overcome, one day at a time, by this mother and son.

The woman’s eyes welled with tears as she thought of the past. She drew a handkerchief from her sleeve to dab at her eyes.

The two maids hastily offered words of comfort.

The woman smiled and waved her hand. “It is merely a sentimental reflection. The past is past.”

In recent years, many had sought to claim kinship with her.

They were mostly distant relations at best. She typically offered them a small sum to be rid of them, not wishing to slam the door in their faces.

She wished to avoid gossip of being ungrateful and forgetting her roots, turning her back on those who knew her.

Before Gu Can had departed, mother and son shared an intimate conversation.

The woman was pleased, yet also worried, and felt a strange sense of distance.

She was pleased that her son had truly matured, capable of shouldering the burden of the family. She was worried that he had grown wise so young.

But she also felt a distance. This son was not the son she knew from Mud Bottle Alley, or later from Qingxia Isle. He had become someone else, a stranger.

During that leisurely chat, Gu Can shared wisdom beyond books. The young man, clad in Confucian robes, even joked that he had picked up these words from the alley outside their doorstep.

“Only those who have known poverty realize that those around them are mostly ghosts.”

“But when one becomes wealthy, even walking at night, those encountered, even ghosts, are benevolent.”

“Yet, people can become ghosts, but ghosts can never become people.”

“Mother, we are now wealthy, and will only grow wealthier. Do not be too frugal. The rules for the servants must be clear and strict, leaving no room for ambiguity. Never should you lavish kindness on all outsiders when you are in high spirits, nor vent your anger on those close to you when your mood is low. Over time, the servants will see through it and disrespect you. Therefore, Mother must not handle household affairs ‘herself,’ but let ‘the rules’ govern.”

“But outside the rules, Mother can treat them with courtesy. There are two kinds of favor to bestow. One is money, which is the most tangible. The other is positions, status, titles that stem from wealth. The other is intangible – the words and gestures you, as mistress, exchange with them. Neither alone can win hearts. It is only with both, combined with rules and family law, that we can build a lasting and stable home.”

“Of course, if Mother harbors resentment, feeling that you have endured too many years of hardship, why should you treat them well? That is perfectly acceptable. But if Mother finds my words reasonable, and genuinely wishes to treat them well, to see them as people, not merely as servants, that would be best. Regardless, with your son around, even if I am away from home and your side, they will not dare to overstep. But I ask that you promise one thing: when someone in the family makes a mistake, and I or someone I send punishes them, you must not go against me.”

“To know everything and act knowingly is to live freely. To know nothing and act knowingly is to suffer needlessly.”

“Ultimately, how one conducts oneself is separate from how one treats others.”

“I believe there are only two possibilities for a person who never harms another in their lifetime. One is a truly good person, without the will to harm. The other is a truly powerful person, who has no need to harm in order to thrive. I hope Mother will treat the former with kindness, and the latter with reverence.”

The woman had simply listened quietly as her son spoke.

Gu Can had spoken with such ease, sharing wisdom she understood.

Her son had grown up, now teaching her how to live and treat others.

The woman snapped back to the present, teasing, “Have either of you found someone special?”

The two maids exchanged smiles and shook their heads.

Every first and fifteenth of the month, regardless of weather, the woman would visit the flourishing Cool Breeze Mountain Temple, burning incense and praying for her son’s smooth cultivation and success in all his endeavors.

Each time, upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the woman would dismount from her carriage and climb on foot, seeking spiritual efficacy through sincerity.

Besides its proximity to the Chuzhou estate, the woman had another reason for frequenting Cool Breeze Mountain.

Back in Mud Bottle Alley, she had heard too many soul-crushing “cool words.”

The woman murmured, “If she could see this day, how happy she would be.”

—

Shujian Lake, Qingxia Isle.

One house near the mountain gate was locked, while the adjacent house was brightly lit, filled with light as bright as day.

It was Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi, standing guard as they did almost every year.

Ever since Zeng Ye had set foot on Qingxia Isle, his luck had changed for the better. No wonder he was sentimental. This “land of rising dragons” deserved frequent visits.

As for the little girl named Ma Duyi, she was a ghost, and over the years she had acquired fox skin talismans. She seemed to enjoy buying rouge and powder to reward herself.

Liu Zhimao stood, hands clasped behind his back, near the mountain gate’s archway, but he did not enter the house. He merely glanced at the Spring Festival couplets and lucky character pasted nearby.

They had likely been affixed by a ghost cultivator from Zhu Xianfu and his doorman Hong Su.

Liu Zhimao walked directly towards the ferry. A breeze stirred, and an unexpected guest appeared at his side.

Liu Zhimao turned and smiled. “The Sect Master has such leisure.”

Liu Laocheng, the current Sect Master of the True Realm Sect, and the first wild cultivator in the Treasure Bottle Continent to reach the Fifth Realm, nodded at the ferry. “Have you truly decided? Will you not reconsider? Do you not wish to hear me say these words on your next visit to Gongliu Isle?”

His meaning was clear: If Liu Zhimao accepted his proposition, Liu Zhimao would be the fourth Sect Master in the history of the True Realm Sect.

Liu Zhimao shook his head. “This worthless life of mine is not suited for a leading position. Once, I desired to succeed the Sect Master and become the Lord of Shujian Lake. I planned and schemed, and it all came to naught. Had I not understood the virtue of leaving a path for others, I would have been in grave danger. I still shudder at the thought. Sect Master, please do not make things difficult for me.”

Liu Laocheng nodded. “Then I shall make other arrangements.”

Liu Zhimao sighed. “Old weather, old clothes, yet they speak of a new year and new hopes.”

Liu Laocheng smiled gently. “Those on the mountain should not speak of worldly matters.”

Liu Zhimao tentatively probed, his voice sounding only in their minds, “Is the new Lake Lord easy to deal with?”

Liu Laocheng said, “For now, it is passable. It will certainly become more difficult in the future, but compared to vying against that young accountant, it is far easier.”

Liu Zhimao laughed loudly. “It is unimaginable that I, Liu Zhimao, would travel at night with Liu Laocheng of Gongliu Isle, without fear of being slain.”

Liu Laocheng smiled and turned to gaze upon the islands in the lake, each like an unmoving ship.

*Sifting Sands, Night Journey,*

*Fragrant herbs and beautiful women are dangerous to sing of,*

*For the dragon may overhear.*

In the early years of Shujian Lake, everyone had to be wary. The only rule was that there were no rules. It was difficult to sleep soundly.

Near the mountain gate house, the ghost cultivator Ma Yuanzhi was standing guard with his doorman Hong Su.

After all, they shared similar mountain roots, creating a natural bond.

Zeng Ye spoke of past events, always circling back to two figures: First, the former Mr. Chen, and then Gu Can.

Whenever Zeng Ye mentioned the latter, Ma Duyi couldn’t help but tease him. She wondered if he had truly been terrified of Gu Can back then, or was he overjoyed that time when someone began to weep silently, so that it was difficult to say whether he was heartbroken or tearfully laughing during their final parting, whenever that was.

Zeng Ye was embarrassed. He could never out-argue Ma Duyi. He could only mutter that no one could have predicted Gu Can’s drastic change, his complete transformation.

“Mr. Chen once said that our becoming the children of our parents, and then becoming the parents of our children, could be a debt to be paid or a debt to be collected.”

“When Mr. Chen said this, he smiled and said he was a debt collector.”

Silence fell in the house. The faint crackling of wood burning in the brazier filled the air.

Ma Duyi suddenly huffed, “How did I not know Mr. Chen spoke of these things with you?”

Zeng Ye said helplessly, “Mr. Chen and I had our moments alone.”

Ma Duyi complained, “Mr. Chen never spoke of such things when he was alone with me.”

They drank wine, wine brewed in Hong Su’s hometown. Zeng Ye then spoke of Mr. Chen’s thoughts on drinking, that there were two things in life that were most worth savoring: Reuniting with an old friend after a long separation, drinking until slightly drunk, then looking back on one’s life; drinking tea and savoring the aftertaste.

Ma Yuanzhi looked unwilling. “Chen Ping An does possess some knowledge. There is a difference when one has consumed ink.”

Hong Su blinked her eyes and smiled. “Why not call him Young Master Chen?”

Ma Yuanzhi spat. “He promised to write a book for me, a good account of my story with Her Highness the Princess. But he dragged his feet. I wonder if he has even finished the first few thousand words.”

Ma Duyi turned to look at Hong Su. Hong Su only dared to shake her head secretly, indicating that it was not the case.

Zeng Ye inexplicably thought of a woman. Over the years, he often yearned for her.

Perhaps longing was like hanging a portrait of a beloved woman in the chambers of one’s heart, never forgetting.

Ma Duyi casually asked, “Did Mr. Chen ever say what it meant to become husband and wife in this life?”

Zeng Ye smiled and nodded, giving an answer.

“It is a form of repayment.”

—

On the top floor corridor of the tallest building in the Demon Suppressing Tower, the pure Yang Daoist with the whisk and sword on his back, and Xiao Mo and Qing Tong, saw the extraordinary phenomenon almost simultaneously.

Using the building beneath their feet as the center, figures of mountain and water gods and cultivators appeared in the air, bowing in reverence. They faced away from the top floor corridor, arranged in order, as if dozens of mirror flowers and water moons were opening simultaneously, as if it were an unprecedented “ancestral hall” meeting. Their minds were united, discussing only one thing, doing only one thing.

The Chongdan River God, Li Jin, received two gilt-painted scrolls. He left the bookstore, returned to his water mansion, bathed and changed, donned the court robes of a proper river god, lit a stick of water incense, paid homage to the southern Tongye Continent, and silently wished that the dead of that continent would rest in peace, and the living would be safe.

The Embroidered River God, a river god with a green snake coiled around his arm, solemnly offered incense, wishing that the broken mountains and rivers of the Tongye Continent would be restored, and the war spirits of that continent would be able to reincarnate.

The Jade Liquid River Water Goddess, Ye Qingzhu, lit a stick of water incense and muttered, *Great Master, do not remember the mistakes of small people.* I am willing to do my best for the Tongye Continent, wishing the territories of that continent peace and prosperity.

In the Lotus Root Blessed Land of Falling Sparrow Mountain, led by the water dragon Hong Xia, the river gods lit a stick of incense each. The incense smoke rose up and floated south.

The Northern Ju Luzhou Ji Du, the former God of Water of the Old Ji Du Temple, the current Marquis Longting, Li Yuan, a black-robed youth with golden eyes, stood in the Marquis Manor and loudly spoke his wish, *May that Tongye Continent have favorable weather.*

In the Cloud Pavilion of the Chongxuan Office of the Great Source Dynasty, the old Daoist Yang Qingkong, held a horsetail whisk inscribed with the words “Wind God,” lit three sticks of incense.

Next to the old Daoist was the Jade Purity Realm cultivator with the Daoist title “Kneading Mud,” Yang Houjue, reverently holding incense with the Yang clan’s old ancestor, facing south.

The Bones Beach River God, Xue Yuansheng, no longer dressed as a ferryman. He revealed his golden body, wearing a Dharma robe, and lit water incense.

The Great Du Lingyuan Duke Shen Lin, former water god of the Southern Scented Water Palace. She stood like a lotus flower in the distance, standing at the gate of the Duke’s Mansion, with her back to the “Virtue Tour Palace” plaque. Shen Lin faced south, wishing Tongye Continent peace and prosperity.

Within the borders of the Silver Screen Country, the Lord of Cangyun Lake, Lord Yin, led a lake, three rivers, and two canals. The lake lord wore a dark purple Dharma robe and, across a Treasure Bottle Continent, held incense in both hands, paying homage to the Tongye Continent, wishing that Tongye Continent would return to spring, and all things would be new.

On the Secret Snow Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain, Yu Fushan of Moxin Ferry lit incense and hoped that the people of Tongye Continent would live in peace, that the rain would be timely, that the hundred grains would be abundant, and that all would be well.

The old dragon Qiu Du, from the Scarlet Scale River, a former official of the Great Du Dragon Palace, was a mama who specialized in teaching dragon princes and grandsons etiquette, held incense and whispered, wishing Tongye Continent a year of peace, a peaceful world, and hoping that the new people of Tongye Continent would be taught at a young age and supported in old age.

In the Great Spring Dynasty, the buried river Biyou Palace, the Water Goddess Liu Rou, wished that there would be no more wars in Tongye Continent, that the people could eat their fill and dress warmly, and that the gods on the mountains would put aside their superior airs and speak more reasonably.

Madam Dan Dan, the co-owner of land and water transport in Haoran Heaven, the Daoist title “Qing Zhong,” prayed that Tongye Continent would have gentle winds and beautiful sunshine, and that the granaries would be full and knowledgeable.

The South China Sea Water Lord Li Yehou lit incense, hoping that the land and rivers of Tongye Continent would flourish again, the people would live and work in peace, the countries would be at peace, and that they would welcome a prosperous era of peace.

The former Sect Master of the Rain Dragon Sect, the current Master of Discipline, the female cultivator Yun Qian, made a wish, hoping that the countries of Tongye Continent would have voices reading books, everyone would have enough food and clothing, the country would be prosperous and the people would be at peace, and all living beings would be blessed.

The woman in the small wine shop, the old demon Yang Zhi of the former throne, led her newly accepted disciple, Chao Qiuhe Po Ganzhou, in picking up water incense, praying that Tongye Continent would welcome the new year, that the wind and rain would be in season, that the five grains would be abundant, and that the country would be peaceful.

Treasure Bottle Continent, the long Spring Marquis of Qi Ferry, the water god Yang Hua, lit water incense, silently wishing that all things would flourish, that the people would be loyal and filial, and that the weather would be good and the years would be prosperous, so the next Huashu would be suitable for millet.

The Lake Lord of South Pond Qin Lake, burned incense and prayed sincerely, wishing that the five grains of the Tongye Continent would be ripe and abundant in every family.

The leaping wave river has been renamed and promoted to Old Fish Lake. Cen Wenqian has been promoted to the official archives of the Long Spring Marquis and the Great Li Dynasty, and has officially promoted to the Lake Lord of a region. After Cen Wenqian was cleansed, she lit a stick of water incense and respectfully paid tribute to the mountains and rivers of the Tongye Continent from afar, wishing that the mountains and rivers of the continent in the southeast region of Haoran Heaven would be far away from disasters and be rich and healthy.

In addition, there were Treasure Bottle Continent Qi Ferry Linli Earl, former Qiantang chief Cao Yong. Within the territory of the Yellow Court, the opening ancestor of the Ziyang Mansion, the old dragon’s eldest daughter Wu Yi. Former Iron Coupon River Water God, Gao Niang. White Stork River Goddess, Xiao Luan… appeared one by one.

Treasure Bottle Continent, the sky above the auxiliary capital, imitating the White Jade Capital.

That year, Cui Chan borrowed the sacred character of “mountain” and “water” from someone. The character of *mountain*, belonged to the Grand Master of the Book of Rites Academy.

Just as Chen Ping An had guessed, the character of *water*, borrowed by his senior brother Cui Chan, belonged to this old senior whose dojo was in Shujian Lake, and who had written the *Questioning the Heavens*.

He had once given the four *Mountain Ghost*, *Crossing the River*, *East Lord*, and *Summoning the Soul* to the Literary Saint.

This old gentleman was not within the lineage of the Literary Temple, but had established his own lineage. Therefore, the stick of “heart incense” of this old master would be the most effective water incense in the world.

It was as if this old gentleman was responsible for closing the incense offering ceremony for the water gods of various continents.

*The scholar invites you to come into the dream,*

*I borrow the mountains from you all.*

*Wandering through the Six Classics, my spirit travels beyond the rivers,*

*Thinking of the mountains, I am the host.*

Treasure Bottle Continent North Mountain, Weibei of Pi Yun Mountain. Mid-Mountain Mountain Spirit Jin Qing. South Mountain Female Mountain Spirit, Fan Junmao, lit a stick of mountain incense each, praying for the Tongye Continent to eliminate disasters.

Middle Earth Continent, within the territory of the Great Yong Dynasty, the Nine True Immortal Hall. Immortal Yun Miao and her Daoist partner Wei Zi, lit incense together in a broken blessed land where miasmas grew rampant and ghosts lived, paying respect to Tongye Continent.

Middle Earth Sui Mountain, god named “Great Offering”, Mountain Spirit Zhou You, revealed his towering golden body Dharma form, facing the southeast direction of Haoran Heaven, holding incense in both hands.

One of the two crown prince mountains of the Great Yue Juxu Mountain, the land immortal of Bird Lift Mountain, Daoist Feng Jun.

Old Mountain God Gong Xin Zhou of Xiangfei Mountain.

Treasure Bottle Continent. Dieyun Ridge Mountain Spirit Dou Yan, and the head of the mountains Weibei, the mountain spirit of the Splitwater Ridge Wei Wei, led two attendant goddesses of the mountain god temple, facing south, respectfully offered incense together from afar.

The last person to close the “mountain incense” ceremony for the mountain spirits of the world was actually the pure Yang Daoist, Lu Yan, whose “true body” was in Treasure Bottle Continent.

In the top floor corridor of the Demon Suppressing Tower, Xiao Mo and Qing Tong bowed to the pure Yang Daoist next to him. Lu Yan smiled and returned the bow.

Incense smoke curling, starlight flickering.

Drops of water form rivers. Accumulating soil becomes a mountain, and wind and rain arise.

The Supreme Holy Teacher watched those gradually disappearing figures, stroked his beard and smiled, “Later, let the Literary Temple record them and this matter.”

Chen Ping An could not say anything at this time.

The Supreme Holy Teacher asked, “How much merit do you have left in your hands?”

Chen Ping An nodded and estimated that there was about 30% left.

“The thunder is loud, and the rain cannot be said to be small. To be honest, it is already a very large phenomenon. It has completely solved the immediate crisis in Tongye Continent. These words sound ordinary, but are actually very easy to say. It is like you pure martial artists, who have transformed a breath of true energy. It is not an action to save your life with medicine, but to completely revive.”

The Supreme Holy Teacher turned to look at Chen Ping An and said with a smile, “But if you end it here, will you inevitably regret it every time you look back in the future?”

Chen Ping An was puzzled. What else could he do? Could it be that the Supreme Holy Teacher was willing to help him connect and give the remaining 30% of his merit to those mountain and water spirits he was not familiar with?

The Supreme Holy Teacher smiled. “You are wrong. First, I should not interfere in any specific matters now, otherwise it will definitely not be a good thing for Haoran Heaven. Furthermore, is my face so worthless that I need to personally help you knock on doors to ask them if they want to make this deal with you? How would that look?”

Chen Ping An was even more confused and could only wait for further instructions.

The Supreme Holy Teacher did not keep him in suspense and said with a smile, “People who are not from the same family cannot enter the same door. Although the characters of your Literary Saint’s family are innately different, there are always some things that they will have a special understanding.”

“The earliest was Qi Jingchun entrusting Bai Ye. Then there was Zuo You on the Sword Qi Great Wall entrusting Chen Qing Du, followed by Jun Qian entrusting Jing Sheng Xi Ping before going to the Green Underworld Heaven. Finally, it was Cui Chan… he didn’t say anything, but the Literary Temple understood what he meant.”

“In fact, it is the same thing, giving their Literary Temple merits to the junior brother for disposal.”

The Supreme Holy Teacher patted the young man on the shoulder. “Therefore, being given hope by others is something that makes people feel less alone. It must be the same with others, walking on the same path.”

It was not just these senior brothers who believed that their master’s closed-door disciple, their junior brother, could shoulder the burden of the future Literary Saint lineage and protect the disciples of their master’s disciples.

It was also a tacit understanding between the five direct disciples of the Literary Saint lineage, without any words of exchange.

Perhaps we have all been disappointed in this world, but we are all willing to place our hopes in this world.